INTEGRATING GENERATIVE AI IN ESSAY WRITING: A TUTORIAL BASED ON A DIGITAL BUSINESS COURSE

This tutorial explores the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) in education, focusing on its use in essay writing to enhance student-centered learning. Based on a two-year intervention in a large-scale Digital Business course with 1200-1400 students yearly, we demonstrate how GenAI, such as ChatGPT, was integrated in the course and was used to support students’ essay writing. During the tutorial, we will share our experience of implementing this GenAI intervention over two cohorts and showcase the impact of AI on student engagement and performance. Furthermore, we will provide practical, step-by-step guidance into designing and using GenAI effectively while promoting critical thinking in students, and discuss ethical considerations of AI use. By addressing the need for a clear framework in adopting AI in academic settings, this tutorial is aligned with the conference theme "Student-Centered Learning with the Rise of AI," offering practical strategies for assignment design, student support and academic integrity.